How-to: Repay your HELB Loan | CampusBiz Platform

Guide on how to repay your HELB Loan

All loanees are required to start repayment after a period of one year on completion of studies, or within such a period as the Board may decide to recall the loan whichever is the earlier (Section 15 HELB Act).

Paying the higher education loans at an early age reduces an individuals financial burden in midlife when one is bringing up a family, paying a mortgage as well as planning for retirement. Among other advantages of paying the loans include; reduction of the number of loans that an individual has hence avoid being blacklisted with the Credit Reference Bureau(CRB) and hence one can easily get a bank loan.

To ease your repayment, the Board has developed several different modes of repayment that suits the loanees who are employed and self employed such as check off system, mobile payment that include M-Pesa, Airtel among others.

Therefore your obligation as a Loanee under the Act is to;

Inform the Board of your contact addresses (section 15 (a) HELB Act),
Begin repayment of your loan together with the interest accrued thereon (Section 15(b) HELB Act),
Facilitate the deduction and remittance of the loan to the Board – (Section 15 (c) HELB Act).

When is the loan due for repayment?

Loan repayment starts within one year of completion of studies or within such a period as the Board decides to recall the loan whichever is earlier. You must pay back your student loan even if you do not graduate, you do not get a job or your education did not meet your expectation.

Paying your loan on time will help to build a good credit history, which makes it easier to borrow money in future. If you do not make timely payments, you will face serious consequences including an adverse credit history and/or referral of your loan to a collection agency or litigation.

It is worth noting that civil proceedings under HELB Act 1995 for recovery are exempted from the provisions of the Limitation of Actions Act.

Alternative Loans (Post-Graduate, Continuing Education, Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund (TRF) and FUNZO)

Alternative loans are due for repayment immediately upon disbursement. Successful applicants shall be notified via e-mail.

Payment Options

Loan repayment can be made directly by loanee or through check-off (employer).

What you will repay

The amount that you repay per month will be based on not more than 25% of your basic pay. However, you can make higher payments which will reduce your balance earlier. You can also clear your outstanding balance at one go at no extra cost.

Making extra repayments

Whatever you earn, you can pay off your loan more quickly by making extra repayments voluntarily. If you do choose to make extra repayments, you will pay your loan off more quickly. You cannot get a refund of any amounts you repay voluntarily, unless you have finished paying off your loan and over paid.

Living abroad

If you do not live in Kenya and work abroad, you must tell us, and make arrangements to make your repayments direct. If you think you may not be in regular contact while you are away, you may want to grant authority to someone to act on your behalf.

Non-compliance will attract penalties on your loan and where necessary, ask you to repay the full amount of loan, plus interest and penalties in one lump sum.

Repaying loan instructions

You can now pay your HELB loan online, at banking halls or via Mobile Money. To make your payment online :

Register an account with HELB online portal here or if you already have an account with us login here
Once logged in, click on Online Services -> Online Payment menu.
Enter the amount you are paying and click ‘Pay Now‘.
A payment acknowledgement will be issued once the payment is successful.
HELB will issue an official receipt for the payment.

You can alternatively pay your loan through the following modes.

1. BANK DEPOSIT (by Employer or Self)

All payments are payable to Higher Education Loans Board, by crossed cheque, Bankers draft, direct transfer/standing order/EFT or CASH DEPOSIT to HELB collection A/C in any of the following banks:

Bank	Account Number	Branch	Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Kenya Commercial Bank	1103 266 314	University-way	SWIFT CODE : KCBLKENX
Family Bank	035 000 024 971	Family Bank Towers	SWIFT CODE : FABLKENAXXX
Co-operative Bank	011290 612 228 00	University-way	SWIFT CODE : KCOOKENA
Barclays bank	501 8216	Barclays Plaza	SWIFT CODE : BARCKENX
Standard chartered Bank	010 801 826 4700	Koinange street	SWIFT CODE : SCBLKENX
Equity bank	055 029 357 3408	Equity Center	SWIFT CODE : EQBLKENA
National Bank of Kenya	010 016 039 1100	Harambee Avenue	SWIFT CODE :NBKEKENX
Citibank	300 040 012	Nairobi	SWIFT CODE : CITIKENA
Chase Bank	0332 084 215 001	Delta House	SWIFT CODE : CKENKENAXXX
NIC Bank	1002 247 638	NIC House	SWIFT CODE : NINCKENAXXX
Jamii Bora Bank	1174 852 7001	Koinange street	SWIFT CODE : CIFIKENAXXX

2. MOBILE PAYMENT SERVICES: M-PESA

Using M-PESA (Safaricom) Money Transfer:

Select pay bill option
Enter HELB business number as 200800
Enter your national ID number as your account number
Enter amount you want to pay
Enter your secret PIN number
Confirm transaction and send

Note: The transaction will take 2 business days to reflect in your statement

3. CREDIT CARD or DEBIT (ATM) CARD

Give authority to HELB to make monthly debits or lump-sum payments directly from your bank account or credit card. This is done by signing the CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION FORM (CCA) and forwarding the same to HELB. VISA branded credit cards or debit (ATM) cards can also be swiped at HELB offices.

4. ONLINE PAYMENT via HELB PAYMENT PORTAL

You can now pay your HELB loan online. To make your payment:

Register an account with HELB online portal; if you already have an account please
Once logged in, click on Online Services > Online Payment menu.
Enter your National ID number as your account number
Enter the amount you are paying and click Pay Now.
A payment acknowledgement will be issued once the payment is successful.
HELB will issue an official receipt for the payment.

5. WAVE

You can make payments instantly from the US and Canada through Wave via KCB account number 1103266314. Go to www.sendwave.com to update/download the app and then make transfers immediately.

NOTE

National ID number MUST be included as reference in all payments and enquiries; Payments MUST be made by the 15th day of the following month for employers and within the month for individuals (self-paying)

Payments (cheques) delivered directly at HELB payment office MUST be attached with remittance form;

For payments made directly to HELB bank accounts, the remittance form MUST be e-mailed to HELB (e-mail: remittance@helb.co.ke )

The remittance form is available from the HELB website Download Remittance Form

No payment shall be accepted without the remittance form

HELB BILL PAYMENT GUIDELINES Using Equity bank ATM:

On the ATM menu:

Insert ATM card
Key in your secret PIN number
Go to ‘Pay bills’
Select ‘HELB’
Enter National ID number when prompted.
Email contactcentre@helb.co.ke for further enquiries

Exceptions from loan repayment

There are circumstances where your student loan may be cancelled so that you never have to pay it back. These instances are:

• If you die before you pay the loan off; or

• If you become disabled and because of that disability you are registered as being permanently unfit for work.

What if I decide to take a further course of study at a later date?

At some point after completing your first course, you may want to take a further course of study. If you are eligible for, and take out, student loans for this further study, you need to be aware that the two loans must be repaid concurrently.

Keeping track of your payments

Loan repayment statements

Loan repayment statements can be viewed from HELB website www.helb.co.ke . Should you have any query on your statement, kindly contact statements@helb.co.ke .

Coming to the end of repaying your loan Upon completion of loan repayment, kindly seek clearance from HELB. Please note that only HELB and not your employer can confirm your loan repayment status.

HELB shall confirm loan repayment completion by way of issuing certificate of clearance. Please contact certificate@helb.co.ke

What happens if you don’t make your repayments?

By law, you must repay your loan in line with the contract and the regulations.

Any loanee who fails or neglects his/her obligations may be charged a penalty which will be added to your loan account and where necessary, ask you to repay the full amount of loan, plus interest and penalties in one lump sum.

Employers have a responsibility, by law,

(a) Upon the employment of any loanee to inform the Board in writing within a period of three months of such employment;

(b) Upon confirmation by the Board that such a person so employed is a loanee, to deduct from the wages or remuneration of the loanee, the amount of any loan as instructed by the Board.

The employer shall pay every deduction from the loanee’s wages or remuneration in the prescribed manner to the Board within 15 days after the end of each month.

The employer may have to pay fines if they do not comply.

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO: Keep track of your own repayments records.